A Brief History of Friends of Denmark

By Orla B. Gercke, Founder

It’s hard to say exactly when we started, because we evolved and grew from our common goal of maintaining Danish traditions and festivals in South Florida. Originally, in 1982, I founded the Danish Chamber of Commerce. Our goal was to maintain a liaison and common ground between the many Danish companies located here. Monthly meetings were held with interesting guest speakers. Then, other Scandinavians wanted to be in the Chamber, and in 1986, the club became Scandinavian American Business Club of Florida.

Due to health challenges, I withdrew from the administration in 1990. The club, however, continued until the Swedish members formed the Swedish American Chamber of Commerce. At that time, there weren’t enough Danish members in the club to form the momentum needed to continue in the existing format.

There was still a Danish core, consisting of the so-called “Lifers,” or the Danes who have settled here and are not intending to move back to Denmark. This group continued to meet privately. In 1992, having recovered my health and at the insistence of the Lifers, particularly Liselotte Mortensen, we formed Friends of Denmark as a social society, emphasizing our Danish heritage and culture. In addition to me, the founding members were Jan Andreasen, the Folkersens, Jorgensens, Mortensens, Nielsens, Spangenbergs, and Palle Kristensen.

We are now a well-established and growing club with our yearly membership averaging over 125. There are three or four major functions each year: the picnic, Christmas party and the Queen’s birthday. In addition to this, we have a dinner, “STAMBORD”, on the first Monday of each month, with attendance ranging from 35 to 80 members. Stambord is held at Vienna Café and Wine Bar, under the direction of the owner, Danish Master Chef Per Jacobsen, phone 954-423-1961.

A new board was installed in 2000. Under the direction of Klaus Hjort and John and Bettie Jorgensen, as well as the other board members and many volunteers, our goals and aspirations for the club are being fulfilled. The club forms the social focal point not only for the Lifers, but also for Danish corporate personnel transferring into the area. We are particularly pleased with the number of Danish corporate trainees and au pairs attending our functions. With the help of our Web site, we seek to expand our connections to other Danish organizations and individuals. Each newcomer can be assured of a warm welcome to our club.